Scholars@Duke
Joellen Martha Schildkraut

Joellen Martha Schildkraut

Professor Emeritus in Family Medicine and Community Health
Family Medicine and Community Health, Prevention Research
joellen.schildkraut@duke.edu
Box 2715 Med Ctr, Durham, NC 27705
6036 Hock Plaza, 2424 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27705

Overview

Dr. Schildkraut is an epidemiologist whose research includes the molecular epidemiology of ovarian, breast and brain cancers. Dr. Schildkraut's research interests include the study of the interaction between genetic and environmental factors. She is currently involved in a large study of genome wide association and ovarian cancer risk and survival. Some of her work is also focused on particular genetic pathways including the DNA repair and apoptosis pathways. She currently leads a study of African American women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She is also collaborating in a large a case-control study of meningioma risk factors and with which a genome wide association analysis is about to commence.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Professor Emeritus in Family Medicine and Community Health · 2015 - Present Family Medicine and Community Health, Prevention Research, Family Medicine and Community Health

Recent Publications

Neighborhood disorder and ovarian cancer survival in Black women.

Journal Article Am J Epidemiol · December 2, 2025 Ovarian cancer (OC) is the fifth leading cause of cancer mortality among women in the US. Black women experience significantly lower OC survival than White women. Evidence suggests that this disparity is not solely the result of barriers to healthcare acce ... Full text Link to item Cite

Regular Physical Inactivity and Ovarian Cancer Risk in the Ovarian Cancer in Women of African Ancestry Consortium.

Journal Article Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev · December 1, 2025 BACKGROUND: Regular physical inactivity may increase ovarian cancer risk, but few studies have investigated whether this association is similar among Black and White women. METHODS: In a pooled nested case-control study within the Ovarian Cancer in Women o ... Full text Link to item Cite

Ambient air pollution and survival among Black women with epithelial ovarian cancer across diverse geographical regions of the United States.

Journal Article Environ Epidemiol · December 2025 BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of gynecologic cancer mortality, with Black women experiencing 5-year survival rates of only 41%. Disproportionate air pollution exposure may impact survival. We evaluated associations of fine particulate matte ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants

Epidemiologic factors and survival by molecular subtypes of ovarian cancer

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center · 2013 - 2017

Research Training In Neuro-Oncology

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1998 - 2016

Integrating Population and Basic Science in Cancer Research

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2009 - 2015

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Education, Training & Certifications

Yale University · 1987 Ph.D.
Yale University · 1982 M.P.H.